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Crossing the Line

Author James D. Shipman
Paperback
$18.95 US
| $24.95 CAN
Kensington
On sale Dec 16, 2025 | 336 Pages | 9781496747785
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In the dark heart of the Krakow Jewish ghetto, three women—each a world apart—are drawn together by an unthinkable twist of fate. The women must navigate a deadly game of survival, risking everything to outsmart the Nazis and save countless lives. Perfect for readers of Pam Jenoff, Kristin Hannah, Joseph Kanon, and Alan Furst.

In the Podgórze district of Krakow sits the Under the Eagle Pharmacy, a family-run business that has long served Jews and Poles alike. Since Poland’s occupation by German forces, Irena, a pharmacist, has watched and worried as the store’s access to medications is reduced to a trickle. But now come rumors that there is more to fear than dwindling supplies.

A Jewish ghetto is under construction in Krakow, and Under the Eagle lies within its limits. Choosing to stay rather than move to the city’s “Aryan” section, the pharmacy workers offer what medicine, food, and help they can to a population crammed into ever more desperate conditions. Among the ghetto’s new residents is Natalia, once a medical student from a wealthy Jewish family. Securing a job at the pharmacy offers her a chance to do the work she has dreamed of and affords her loved ones some protection from the threat of relocation. Yet here, there can be no such thing as real safety.

For Elsa, a young German woman, recruitment to the SS was the only way to avoid jail after a deep betrayal. Assigned to the ghetto, confronted with the casual cruelty and violence of her commanders, she feels her convictions about the Fatherland crumbling. As restrictions and penalties grow worse each day, Irena, Natalia, and Elsa are drawn toward unexpected alliances—and decisions that could save or jeopardize not just their own lives, but the lives of countless others.
Praise for James D. Shipman

“Set in 1948 against the backdrop of the Berlin Blockade, this fast-moving Cold War thriller brings to life the shifting alliances that splintered the Allies in the years immediately following WWII. As readers attempt to sort out motives, the plot twists keep coming.” —Booklist on Before the Storm

“This deeply impactful novel is based on the true story of Irena Sendler, a member of the Polish resistance who rescued 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto. James D. Shipman’s heart-pounding historical thriller is a tribute to those who risked their lives to help others.” —Christian Science Monitor, Best Books of the Month, on Irena’s War

“Shipman dazzles in this historical tour-de-force based on the real-life story of WWII Polish resistance fighter Irena Sendler…The author’s impeccable research, gripping prose, and pitch-perfect pacing bring an immediacy to the atrocities wreaked on Jews and other “undesirables.” Shipman’s humbling, spellbinding tale is a standout among recent works of Holocaust fiction.” —Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW for Irena's War

“An extremely well-written, interesting account of a heroic woman… haunting. The images of ghetto life are so strongly constructed, the characters so well drawn that I found myself worrying about their survival.” —Aaron Leibel, The Jerusalem Post on Irena’s War

“Shipman seamlessly blends historical fact with fiction as he recounts the 1944 revolt… an authentic and gripping novel one should not miss; it is highly recommended.” —Historical Novel Society, Editor’s Choice on Beyond the Wire

“Sendler is presented as a heroic, yet flawed, idealist…her determination to save as many children as possible, and not to divulge the names of her contacts in the Resistance, was monumental…The twists and turns that led to her survival – some of them historic, some of them fictional – keep us turning the pages.” —San Diego Jewish World on Irena’s War

"From the first crackling sentence to the vividly rendered climax, Task Force Baum provides the reader with a tempo that never flags. Based on a controversial raid in WWII to liberate a POW camp behind Nazi lines, this novel is revealing, and at the same time, great reading entertainment." —James R. Benn, author of When Hell Struck Twelve on Task Force Baum

“A Bitter Rain is the best kind of WWII novel, action-packed, populated by complex characters facing deep moral dilemmas, and historically accurate. I loved it.” —Mark Sullivan, author of #1 Amazon Charts bestseller Beneath a Scarlet Sky on A Bitter Rain

“Harrowing, intense, and oh so real, this story plunges the reader into the nightmare world of Nazi Germany where good and decent people struggle to survive.” —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of The Royal Spyness Series and In Farleigh Field on A Bitter Rain
James D. Shipman is the bestselling author of historical fiction, including the acclaimed novels Irena’s War, Beyond the Wire, Task Force Baum, and Before the Storm. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he began publishing short stories and poems while earning a degree in history from the University of Washington and a law degree from Gonzaga University. Now a practicing attorney, he lives with his family in Washington State. Please visit him online at James-Shipman.com.
James D. Shipman View titles by James D. Shipman

About

In the dark heart of the Krakow Jewish ghetto, three women—each a world apart—are drawn together by an unthinkable twist of fate. The women must navigate a deadly game of survival, risking everything to outsmart the Nazis and save countless lives. Perfect for readers of Pam Jenoff, Kristin Hannah, Joseph Kanon, and Alan Furst.

In the Podgórze district of Krakow sits the Under the Eagle Pharmacy, a family-run business that has long served Jews and Poles alike. Since Poland’s occupation by German forces, Irena, a pharmacist, has watched and worried as the store’s access to medications is reduced to a trickle. But now come rumors that there is more to fear than dwindling supplies.

A Jewish ghetto is under construction in Krakow, and Under the Eagle lies within its limits. Choosing to stay rather than move to the city’s “Aryan” section, the pharmacy workers offer what medicine, food, and help they can to a population crammed into ever more desperate conditions. Among the ghetto’s new residents is Natalia, once a medical student from a wealthy Jewish family. Securing a job at the pharmacy offers her a chance to do the work she has dreamed of and affords her loved ones some protection from the threat of relocation. Yet here, there can be no such thing as real safety.

For Elsa, a young German woman, recruitment to the SS was the only way to avoid jail after a deep betrayal. Assigned to the ghetto, confronted with the casual cruelty and violence of her commanders, she feels her convictions about the Fatherland crumbling. As restrictions and penalties grow worse each day, Irena, Natalia, and Elsa are drawn toward unexpected alliances—and decisions that could save or jeopardize not just their own lives, but the lives of countless others.

Reviews

Praise for James D. Shipman

“Set in 1948 against the backdrop of the Berlin Blockade, this fast-moving Cold War thriller brings to life the shifting alliances that splintered the Allies in the years immediately following WWII. As readers attempt to sort out motives, the plot twists keep coming.” —Booklist on Before the Storm

“This deeply impactful novel is based on the true story of Irena Sendler, a member of the Polish resistance who rescued 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto. James D. Shipman’s heart-pounding historical thriller is a tribute to those who risked their lives to help others.” —Christian Science Monitor, Best Books of the Month, on Irena’s War

“Shipman dazzles in this historical tour-de-force based on the real-life story of WWII Polish resistance fighter Irena Sendler…The author’s impeccable research, gripping prose, and pitch-perfect pacing bring an immediacy to the atrocities wreaked on Jews and other “undesirables.” Shipman’s humbling, spellbinding tale is a standout among recent works of Holocaust fiction.” —Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW for Irena's War

“An extremely well-written, interesting account of a heroic woman… haunting. The images of ghetto life are so strongly constructed, the characters so well drawn that I found myself worrying about their survival.” —Aaron Leibel, The Jerusalem Post on Irena’s War

“Shipman seamlessly blends historical fact with fiction as he recounts the 1944 revolt… an authentic and gripping novel one should not miss; it is highly recommended.” —Historical Novel Society, Editor’s Choice on Beyond the Wire

“Sendler is presented as a heroic, yet flawed, idealist…her determination to save as many children as possible, and not to divulge the names of her contacts in the Resistance, was monumental…The twists and turns that led to her survival – some of them historic, some of them fictional – keep us turning the pages.” —San Diego Jewish World on Irena’s War

"From the first crackling sentence to the vividly rendered climax, Task Force Baum provides the reader with a tempo that never flags. Based on a controversial raid in WWII to liberate a POW camp behind Nazi lines, this novel is revealing, and at the same time, great reading entertainment." —James R. Benn, author of When Hell Struck Twelve on Task Force Baum

“A Bitter Rain is the best kind of WWII novel, action-packed, populated by complex characters facing deep moral dilemmas, and historically accurate. I loved it.” —Mark Sullivan, author of #1 Amazon Charts bestseller Beneath a Scarlet Sky on A Bitter Rain

“Harrowing, intense, and oh so real, this story plunges the reader into the nightmare world of Nazi Germany where good and decent people struggle to survive.” —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of The Royal Spyness Series and In Farleigh Field on A Bitter Rain

Author

James D. Shipman is the bestselling author of historical fiction, including the acclaimed novels Irena’s War, Beyond the Wire, Task Force Baum, and Before the Storm. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he began publishing short stories and poems while earning a degree in history from the University of Washington and a law degree from Gonzaga University. Now a practicing attorney, he lives with his family in Washington State. Please visit him online at James-Shipman.com.
James D. Shipman View titles by James D. Shipman

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